Feeding and Nutrition :: will a res eat a plecostomus?

[rammstein420]

i really like those fish. if they arent compatable is any fish able to be a non feeder fish?

[vear]

Yes and no. With RES, there's ALWAYS a possibility they will eat anything you put in the tank. My RES for example will go through months where he won't touch a fish... literally months! and then one day he'll go crazy and eat all of them! I'm not sure why. Anyway, i'm actually debating whether or not to get a pleco myself, but I know there's a chance I may come home to pleco chunks one day, and that sounds gross. Your turtle may or may not eat the fish in the tank. Just don't get attached to anything you put in there.

[SSMcLeod]

As of yet the most my turtles have done to the plecos is slightly chew on them... Plecos do have that armour that seem to be able to turn aside juvenile turtles jaws...

[rammstein420]

is that true?

[SSMcLeod]

I have seen my turtles try and nibble a pleco to no avail

[vear]

I have seen my turtles try and nibble a pleco to no avail

How big are your turtles?

[SSMcLeod]

The largest is 3inches (was the one chewing on a 2inch pleco)

Since that day they seem to be ignoring each other

[ChompersMom]

So I have adopted my fathers turtle after it being abandoned by my dad's girlfriend after his passing she had nothing to do with the household, so after rescuing Chomper (turtles name) from an iced sheathed tank and bringing him in and getting the proper equipments to properly care for the poor guy, he seems extremely joyous now. 3 years has passed and i can definitely tell he is happy due to his growing and interactivity with me every time i pass by. I have been thinking about getting a pleco BUT I don't want Chomper to think the guy is food when i want him to clean the tank and enjoy all the yummy algae mmmmmmm but also i am afraid if he eats the pleco if the pleco would be poisonous to Chomper.... So, good or bad idea to get him a new friend after so many years of not having one since his other friends has passed on? He used to live with a Garr and an Oscar and a very large pleco. Chomper now is almost 8" shell size and from head to tail fully extend almost a foot or so if not a little bigger...

[SSMcLeod]

It is possible to buy a larger pleco (my pet store has a few at 6 inches that they keep specifically for very large tanks)

However, I find if you want your turtle to ignore the fish try taking the turtle out, but the fish in and give the fish like an hour or so to situate itself before putting the turtle back in. The first pleco I got - I floated the bag, and the turtles went right after the poor thing (to no avail - but I would imagine having four turtles chasing you to be a very scary thing). My second one I did this and so far I have to see a turtle even look at him.

[SINI5T3R]

Yeah I have had fish in bags floating and the turtles bite the bag and just plain out kill the fish without even puncturing the bag...

Iv had a few expensive 10$ fish killed but not too many. Fish seem to learn that the turtles WILL eat them if given the chance but after a while the fish know to stay somewhat far away and will even shoot up from the bottom to steal some turtle food here and there.

[Karawr]

I recently bought a 1inch pleco hoping my turtle wouldn't eat this one because of the armor. But, my turtle is older and bigger (5 inches) and sure enough he got eaten. He didn't even SEE the thing for the first two days, then one morning I went to check to make sure everyone was there (I had also added Bala Sharks and Chinese Algae Eaters) and noticed the poor pleco was gone.

I feel really bad because I doubt he could have eaten/killed it in one chomp, so he was probably in pain. I'm hoping not. Just be sure you're willing to take the risk because there is a high chance your turtle will try to eat the thing.

**On a side note, the Bala Sharks and Chinese Algae Eaters are doing great. They seem to be way too fast for my turtle to catch them. He gives them a 2 second chance once and awhile, but gives up really quick.

[SSMcLeod]

Yeah - I bought my plecos on the basis if they are the same size now - with the same approximate growth rate, they should realistically not see each other as food.

[kmichael55]

My turtles have eaten a pleco smaller than them but have lived peacefully with my "Striped Raphael/Chocolate Talking Catfish" (just found out that's what my oddly patterned "pleco" is) for about 2 years. He's about the same size as them.

[SINI5T3R]

I recently bought a 1inch pleco hoping my turtle wouldn't eat this one because of the armor. But, my turtle is older and bigger (5 inches) and sure enough he got eaten. He didn't even SEE the thing for the first two days, then one morning I went to check to make sure everyone was there (I had also added Bala Sharks and Chinese Algae Eaters) and noticed the poor pleco was gone.

I feel really bad because I doubt he could have eaten/killed it in one chomp, so he was probably in pain. I'm hoping not. Just be sure you're willing to take the risk because there is a high chance your turtle will try to eat the thing.

**On a side note, the Bala Sharks and Chinese Algae Eaters are doing great. They seem to be way too fast for my turtle to catch them. He gives them a 2 second chance once and awhile, but gives up really quick.

I have read on alot of sites that fish do not have Pain Receptors there for they do not feel pain.

[vear]

I recently bought a 1inch pleco hoping my turtle wouldn't eat this one because of the armor. But, my turtle is older and bigger (5 inches) and sure enough he got eaten. He didn't even SEE the thing for the first two days, then one morning I went to check to make sure everyone was there (I had also added Bala Sharks and Chinese Algae Eaters) and noticed the poor pleco was gone.

I feel really bad because I doubt he could have eaten/killed it in one chomp, so he was probably in pain. I'm hoping not. Just be sure you're willing to take the risk because there is a high chance your turtle will try to eat the thing.

**On a side note, the Bala Sharks and Chinese Algae Eaters are doing great. They seem to be way too fast for my turtle to catch them. He gives them a 2 second chance once and awhile, but gives up really quick.

I have read on alot of sites that fish do not have Pain Receptors there for they do not feel pain.

Yeah,I read that too. I think there's a recent article that shows that goldfish may actually feel pain, but who knows. I like to go out fishing in the summer, so I try to tell myself that they don't feel anything. At least I hope not!

By the way I kinda want a pleco too. My lfs has a nice large one, but it's $50!!! I don't want to spend that much.